More Man Than Machine
by Jigsaw13327
Summary: Anakin Skywalker has done it. After 23 years of slavery to the Dark Side, he has turned back to the Light Side, with the help of his son, Luke. He joins the ranks of the dead, and reconciles with the loved ones he has wronged. Rated T for darker themes.
1. The Redeemed

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_

This story idea has been done probably a thousand times, but whatever, this is my take on it.

If you don't understand how the whole concept of Force Ghosts work within this story, just ask me about it. The explanation/theory is far too long to describe in this author's note. (And besides: Spoilers!)

Rated T for mature themes and all-around feels.

Special thanks to George Lucas for allowing the fans to play around in his most valuable sandbox. We love you George. At least, I do.

* * *

 _ **And I've seen your flag on the marble arch**_

 ** _And love is not a victory march_**

 ** _It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah_**

 _ **And it's not a cry that you hear at night**_

 _ **It's not somebody who's seen the light**_

 _ **It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah**_

 **Rufus Wainwright, "Hallelujah"**

* * *

Prologue:

The Redeemed

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, could not stop the voices in his head as his son lay dying by his Master's hands. No matter how hard he tried, they floated up to the surface of his subconsciousness and popped like tiny little bubbles, dragging their painful words across his mind. Luke raised a gloved hand and yelled "FATHER! PLEASE!" before the Emperor's blue Force Lightning arced across his body. The plea for help was drowned out by screams, and Vader had to resist putting his hands (no, hand) to his head in a weak attempt to cover his ears.

Palpatine stopped the Lightning and looked down at Luke's withering body. He clucked softly. "Now, young Skywalker... you will die." The Emperor raised his hands again, and cast his Lightning. Luke began to scream again as electricity fried his nerves, causing his body to go numb. Within Vader's head, the past continued to slash at him with its memories:

 _"You will be a Jedi. I promise-"_

 _"Stay with me, Mom-"_

 _"I love you-"_

No.

 _"Learn to know the dark side of the Force-"_

 _"No! Stop now! Come back! Please!-"_

 _"I HATE YOU!-"_

Stop it.

 _"You were my brother, Anakin-"_

 _"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine-"_

 _"I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate-"_

STOP IT!

 _"That name no longer has any meaning to me-"_

 _And suddenly he's no longer on the Second Death Star, confined to a robotic suit, watching his son die. He's sitting in a picturesque green meadow, watching not the cascading waterfalls, but the beautiful woman sitting next to him, laughing brightly. The Dark Times, the wars, the pain are years away. Now, there is just Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, man and woman, enjoying the company of each other, laughing brightly. And in his head he remembers the words of his beloved:_

 _"Sometimes, there are things no one can fix."_

 _Within this moment, Vader realizes everything he has done, has failed to do, the sins and atrocities he has committed. His children are the one bright spot in a galaxy of darkness, and without them, all hope would be lost._

He looked at the man he once thought of as a surrogate father, the one who made him a mechanical monstrosity, who forced him to throw away everything dear, killing one of the last things Vader still had.

 _You lied to me,_ Master _. You took everything away from me._

He looked down at his son, his child, and thought of Padme, and the life they would never have together. "No" he whispered. Palpatine took no notice, and continued to electrocute Luke.

 _Padme, forgive me. I didn't want this. For any of us. For all of us._

"NOOOOOO!" Vader roared, and with his one remaining hand, picked the Emperor up by his robes, lifting his Master high in the air. Force Lightning raced from Palpatine's fingertips to Vader's body, overloading his suit's life-support functions. Vader felt none of this, however. Only anger that had been building for nineteen long years of servitude. Before he could lose control of his remaining hand, Vader lifted the Emperor high over his head, and flung him into a nearby shaft, . The scream that followed was the most satisfying sound Vader had ever heard through his helmet.

By now, most of his suit had shut down on him, and he collapsed to the floor. Luke bent down and cradled him wordlessly in his arms. Hastily, yet carefully, Luke lifted his father and began to carry him out of the Death Star's throne room.

* * *

As father and son reached an Imperial shuttle, Vader slumped down onto the ground, feeling whatever strength left flee from him. Luke hovered over him once more as Vader's breathing became shallow.

"Luke" Vader said. "Help me take this mask off."

"But... you'll die" he replied.

"It is... too late for that. Just for once... let me look on you... with my own eyes." Vader said. Gingerly, Luke placed his hands around his father's head, lifting the helmet off. He then gently pulled Vader's mask off and set it on the ground. The scarred, chalk-like face of Anakin Skywalker, his father, stared at him.

"Go, my son." It was strange, hearing his own unaltered voice after nineteen years of confinement in that dark prison of a suit. Anakin's vision started to blur and darken at the edges. He took in a shallow breath with his broken lungs.

"I can't just leave you here. I have to save you." The pain and concern in his son's voice was strong, but Anakin knew that his time in the galaxy was up. He had already overstayed his welcome.

"You already have" he told his son. Everything was blurred now, his son's face a blob of colors and life. The overhead hanger lights brightened, and Anakin started to feel himself slipping away from his body. He took one last shallow breath and spoke:

"Luke... You were right about me... Tell your sister... You were right..." Anakin Skywalker, no longer a Dark Lord of the Sith, let out his final breath and rested his head against the ship. His last thought was _Padme_ before his vision went completely black.


	2. Reunion

**Sorry about the very long delay, folks. I was busy with the end of my summer and the start of school. The rest should be coming very soon. Now, on with the feels!**

* * *

I

Reunion

He awoke to beautiful blue skies filled with puffy white clouds that looked like candy. The first thing he noticed was the millions of tiny pricking feelings on his feet. Anakin bolted upright and stared down at his body. He wore a white tunic with matching pants that caught the glare of the sun and reflected it right back into his eyes. He blinked several times before he The wind blew through his bushy shoulder-length hair, and he realized that he was young again, just as he was before Mustafar. There was no metal hand to be found. All of his limbs were good old flesh and blood. He could actually feel.

Anakin stood up and surveyed the area. Rolling green valleys stretched as far as the eye could see, with bright blue cascading waterfalls dotting them. The landscape stole his breath away. It had been so long since he had seen something this beautiful with his own eyes, unblinded from the red film of rage provided by the Dark Side. It seemed... familiar. As if he had been here before-

His mind mentally kicked him and spoke up: _It's Naboo. Near Varykino, where you and Padme had the picnic-_

 _PADME!_ he screamed mentally. Anakin looked all around worriedly, searching for his wife. Only the blowing wind replied to him. And on it, laughter, something he hadn't heard since the Clone Wars. And this laughter, a hearty chuckle that seemed to fill his soul with joy, was all too familiar as well. It reminded him of times before the war, when all was right with the galaxy. He followed his ears, determined that the laughter had come from the valley below him, and started walking down the steep hill. At the bottom, he could faintly see three figures sitting around a cloth, an open basket laying on top of it. One of the figures looked up from her meal and looked at him, white dress trailing behind on the grass behind, her brown eyes cutting into him like swords. And in a moment, he realized exactly who the woman was. Anakin put his feet into hyperspeed, kicking up little tufts of grass as he streaked towards the love of his life.

He was about halfway down the hill before his feet gave out and he rolled the rest of the way down. He closed his eyes as his body smacked against the soft grass. After what felt like an eternity of rolling, Anakin opened his eyes to find the face of Padme Amidala Skywalker staring into his own. She spoke one word:

"Ani?"

Before he reached with his arms and brought their lips together. Force, he had missed that feeling, of her delicate lips on his. After a few seconds, he heard a voice that froze the very blood in his veins. He hadn't heard it since-

(you can't win darth)

 _Since the Death Star._

"Welcome back, Anakin. Glad you could join us."

He broke off from his wife's kiss and looked in the direction that the voice came from. There sat Obi-Wan, in a matching white tunic similar to Anakin's, gently stirring a steaming thermos with a long glass rod. Anakin didn't have to be a Jedi to guess that the thermos was most likely filled with tea. It gladdened Anakin to see that even in death, his Master looked exactly the same before Obi-Wan had left for Utapau, ginger bread and all.

Obi-Wan gestured to the blanket. "Come. Sit, and enjoy yourself. We brought food, as you can see." Anakin sat down next to Padme and across from Obi-Wan. Looking to Obi's right was a figure cloaked in all white. It had raised a hood over its head, so Anakin could not see just who was underneath. However, the hood clung to the figure's head, outlining what appeared to be two large spires jutting out from the top of its forehead. These spires curled at the top and traveled downward along the creature's back. It took Anakin a few moments to realize just who the figure was. Reaching over the blanket, Anakin lifted the hood up to reveal the shining, bright orange face of Ahsoka Tano. She looked at Anakin with wide eyes.

"Hi Skyguy. Miss me?" She smirked, and Anakin remembered the look on her face when he, no _Vader_ , had stabbed her through the chest. It had been a look of heartbreaking betrayal, a wide-eyed glance that Anakin had felt deep within his heart. But he could show no remorse. Not with the helmet on, at least.

"Yes. I missed you. I missed all of you" he said, gesturing to everyone at the picnic. "I'm glad that we're all back together again." His voice cracked and his eyes began to swell with tears. He had so many questions, so many things he wanted to ask. But before he could say anything, Ahsoka set down a plate of food in front of him. He looked up and saw that Padme and everyone else were smiling. At this point Anakin did the only other thing he could do.

He smiled back.


End file.
